Psalms 105--118

Psalm 105

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name;*
make known his deeds among the peoples.

2

Sing to him, sing praises to him,*
and speak of all his marvellous works.

3

Glory in his holy name;*
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4

Search for the Lord and his strength;*
continually seek his face.

5

Remember the marvels he has done,*
his wonders and the judgements of his mouth,

6

O offspring of Abraham his servant,*
O children of Jacob his chosen.

7

He is the Lord our God;*
his judgements prevail in all the world.

8

He has always been mindful of his covenant,*
the promise he made for a thousand generations:

9

The covenant he made with Abraham,*
the oath that he swore to Isaac,

10

Which he established as a statute for Jacob,*
an everlasting covenant for Israel,

11

Saying, To you will I give the land of Canaan*
to be your allotted inheritance.

12

When they were few in number,*
of little account and sojourners in the land,

13

Wandering from nation to nation*
and from one kingdom to another,

14

He let no one oppress them*
and rebuked kings for their sake,

15

Saying, Do not touch my anointed*
and do my prophets no harm.

16

Then he called for a famine in the land*
and destroyed the supply of bread.

17

He sent a man before them,*
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18

They bruised his feet in fetters;*
his neck they put in an iron collar.

19

Until his prediction came to pass,*
the word of the Lord tested him.

20

The king sent and released him;*
the ruler of the peoples set him free.

21

He set him as master over his household,*
as a ruler over all his possessions,

22

To instruct his princes according to his will*
and to teach his elders wisdom.

* * *

23

Israel came into Egypt,*
and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham.

24

The Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful;*
he made them stronger than their enemies;

25

Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people,*
and dealt unjustly with his servants.

26

He sent Moses his servant,*
and Aaron whom he had chosen.

27

They worked his signs among them,*
and portents in the land of Ham.

28

He sent darkness and it grew dark;*
but the Egyptians rebelled against his words.

29

He turned their waters into blood*
and caused their fish to die.

30

Their land was overrun by frogs,*
in the very chambers of their kings.

31

He spoke and there came swarms of insects*
and gnats within all their borders.

32

He gave them hailstones instead of rain,*
and flames of fire throughout their land.

33

He blasted their vines and their fig trees*
and shattered every tree in their country.

34

He spoke and the locust came,*
and young locusts without number,

35

Which ate up all the green plants in their land*
and devoured the fruit of their soil.

36

He struck down the first-born of their land,*
the first-fruits of all their strength.

37

He led out his people with silver and gold;*
in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled.

38

Egypt was glad of their going,*
because they were afraid of them.

39

He spread out a cloud for a covering*
and a fire to give light in the night season.

40

They asked and quails appeared,*
and he satisfied them with bread from heaven.

41

He opened the rock and water flowed,*
so the river ran in the dry places.

42

For God remembered his holy word*
and Abraham his servant.

43

So he led forth his people with gladness,*
his chosen with shouts of joy.

44

He gave his people the lands of the nations,*
and they took the fruit of others toil,

45

That they might keep his statutes*
and observe his laws.
Alleluia!

O God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
you redeemed us from the slavery of sin
for freedom as your children:
feed us on our way with the bread of heaven
and quench our thirst with living water;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Psalm 106

Alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,*
for his mercy endures for ever.

2

Who can declare the mighty acts of the Lord*
or show forth all his praise?

3

Happy are those who act with justice*
and always do what is right!

4

Remember me, O Lord,
with the favour you have for your people,*
and visit me with your saving help;

5

That I may see the prosperity of your elect
and be glad with the gladness of your people,*
that I may glory with your inheritance.

6

We have sinned as our forebears did;*
we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.

7

In Egypt they did not consider your marvellous works,
nor remember the abundance of your love;*
they defied the Most High at the Red Sea.

8

But he saved them for his names sake,*
to make his power known.

9

He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up,*
and he led them through the deep as through a desert.

10

He saved them from the hand of those who hated them*
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11

The waters covered their oppressors;*
not one of them was left.

12

Then they believed his words*
and sang him songs of praise.

13

But they soon forgot his deeds*
and did not wait for his counsel.

14

A craving seized them in the wilderness,*
and they put God to the test in the desert.

15

He gave them what they asked,*
but sent leanness into their soul.

16

They envied Moses in the camp,*
and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.

17

The earth opened and swallowed Dathan*
and covered the company of Abiram.

18

Fire blazed up against their company,*
and flames devoured the wicked.

19

Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb*
and worshipped a molten image;

20

And so they exchanged their Glory*
for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.

21

They forgot God their saviour,*
who had done great things in Egypt,

22

Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham,*
and fearful things at the Red Sea.

23

So he would have destroyed them,
had not Moses his chosen
stood before him in the breach,*
to turn away his wrath from consuming them.

* * *

24

Our forebears refused the pleasant land*
and would not believe Gods promise.

25

They grumbled in their tents*
and would not listen to the voice of the Lord.

26

So he lifted his hand against them,*
to overthrow them in the wilderness,

27

To cast out their seed among the nations,*
and to scatter them throughout the lands.

28

They joined themselves to Baal-Peor*
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.

29

They provoked him to anger with their actions,*
and a plague broke out among them.

30

Then Phinehas stood up and interceded,*
and the plague came to an end.

31

This was reckoned to him as righteousness*
throughout all generations for ever.

32

Again they provoked his anger at the waters of Meribah,*
so that he punished Moses because of them;

33

For they so embittered his spirit*
that he spoke rash words with his lips.

34

They did not destroy the peoples*
as the Lord had commanded them.

35

They intermingled with the heathen*
and learned their pagan ways,

36

So that they worshipped their idols,*
which became a snare to them.

37

They sacrificed their sons*
and their daughters to evil spirits.

38

They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,*
which they offered to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was defiled with blood.

39

Thus they were polluted by their actions*
and went whoring in their evil deeds;

40

Therefore the wrath of the Lord
was kindled against his people*
and he abhorred his inheritance.

41

He gave them over to the hand of the heathen,*
and those who hated them ruled over them.

42

Their enemies oppressed them,*
and they were humbled under their hand.

43

Many a time did he deliver them,
but they rebelled through their own devices,*
and were brought down in their iniquity.

44

Nevertheless, he saw their distress,*
when he heard their lamentation.

45

He remembered his covenant with them*
and relented in accordance with his great mercy.

46

He caused them to be pitied*
by those who held them captive.

47

Save us, O Lord our God,
and gather us from among the nations,*
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

48

Blessèd be the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting and to everlasting;*
and let all the people say, Amen!
Alleluia!

O God almighty,
who in your enduring goodness
recall your erring children to unending life:
spare us who declare the mighty acts of your salvation,
for we have sinned, as all our forebears;
this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Psalm 108

I will confess you among the peoples, O Lord;*
I will sing praises to you among the nations.

4

For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens,*
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

5

Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,*
and your glory over all the earth.

6

So that those who are dear to you may be delivered,*
save with your right hand and answer me.

7

God spoke from his holy place and said,*
I will exult and parcel out Shechem;
I will divide the valley of Succoth.

8

Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine;*
Ephraim is my helmet and Judah my sceptre.

9

Moab is my wash-basin,
on Edom I throw down my sandal to claim it,*
and over Philistia will I shout in triumph.

10

Who will lead me into the strong city?*
who will bring me into Edom?

11

Have you not cast us off, O God?*
you no longer go out, O God, with our armies.

12

Grant us your help against the enemy,*
for vain is any human help.

13

With God we will do valiant deeds,*
and he shall tread our enemies under foot.

O God,
whose steadfast love never ceases
and whose compassion never fails:
come with the dawning of the new day
and reveal your power in our lives,
that your glory may be exalted in all the earth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

I have faded away like a shadow when it lengthens;*
I am shaken off like a locust.

23

My knees are weak through fasting,*
and my flesh is wasted and gaunt.

24

I have become a reproach to them;*
they see and shake their heads.

25

Help me, O Lord my God;*
save me for your mercys sake.

26

Let them know that this is your hand,*
that you, O Lord, have done it.

27

They may curse, but you will bless;*
let those who rise up against me be put to shame,
and your servant will rejoice.

28

Let my accusers be clothed with disgrace*
and wrap themselves in their shame as in a cloak.

29

I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth;*
in the midst of the multitude will I praise him;

30

Because he stands at the right hand of the needy,*
to save his life from those who would condemn him.

O Christ, despised and rejected
by those whom you came to save:
teach us gladly to receive ill in return for good,
that thereby we may bear with you
the passion and burden of the world,
and in our daily dying
be reborn to the fullness of life;
this we ask for your mercys sake.Amen.

Psalm 110

The Lord said to my lord, Sit at my right hand,*
until I make your enemies your footstool.

2

The Lord will send the sceptre of your power
out of Zion,*
saying, Rule over your enemies round about you.

3

Princely state has been yours
from the day of your birth,*
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning.

4

The Lord has sworn and he will not recant:*
You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

5

The Lord who is at your right hand
will smite kings in the day of his wrath;*
he will rule over the nations.

6

He will heap high the corpses;*
he will smash heads over the wide earth.

7

He will drink from the brook beside the road;*
therefore he will lift high his head.

O Christ, our king and our great high priest,
as in humility you were born among us
so now in power may you ever plead for us;
for you are alive and reign in the glory of the Father,
now and for ever.Amen.

Psalm 111

Alleluia!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,*
in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.

2

Great are the deeds of the Lord!*
they are studied by all who delight in them.

3

His work is full of majesty and splendour,*
and his righteousness endures for ever.

4

He makes his marvellous works to be remembered;*
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

5

He gives food to those who fear him;*
he is ever mindful of his covenant.

6

He has shown his people the power of his works*
in giving them the lands of the nations.

7

The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice;*
all his commandments are sure.

8

They stand fast for ever and ever,*
because they are done in truth and equity.

9

He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant for ever;*
holy and awesome is his name.

10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;*
those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
his praise endures for ever.

Holy Father,
you have revealed in your only begotten Son
the power of the new and everlasting covenant:
on this day, which we have made your own,
feed your people with the bread of heaven
as they recount your marvellous deeds;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Psalm 112

Alleluia!
Happy are they who fear the Lord*
and have great delight in his commandments!

2

Their descendants will be mighty in the land;*
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3

Wealth and riches will be in their house,*
and their righteousness will last for ever.

4

Light shines in the darkness for the upright;*
the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.

5

It is good for them to be generous in lending*
and to manage their affairs with justice.

6

For they will never be shaken;*
the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.

7

They will not be afraid of any evil rumours;*
their heart is right;
they put their trust in the Lord.

8

Their heart is established and will not shrink,*
until they see their desire upon their enemies.

9

They have given freely to the poor,*
and their righteousness stands fast for ever;
they will hold up their head with honour.

10

The wicked will see it and be angry;
they will gnash their teeth and pine away;*
the desires of the wicked will perish.

Lord our God,
you have given us the light of Christ to banish darkness
and to lead us in the way of your commandments:
make it ever our delight to fulfil your will,
and truly to love one another;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Psalm 113

Alleluia!
Give praise, you servants of the Lord;*
praise the name of the Lord.

2

Let the name of the Lord be blessed,*
from this time forth for evermore.

3

From the rising of the sun to its going down*
let the name of the Lord be praised.

4

The Lord is high above all nations,*
and his glory above the heavens.

5

Who is like the Lord our God,
who sits enthroned on high,*
but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?

6

He takes up the weak out of the dust*
and lifts up the poor from the ashes.

7

He sets them with the princes,*
with the princes of his people.

8

He makes the woman of a childless house*
to be a joyful mother of children.

From the rising of the sun to its going down,
your Name is praised, O Lord,
for you have raised us from the dust and set before us
the vision of your glory.
As you bestowed upon us the dignity of a royal priesthood,
lift up our hearts as we celebrate your praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Psalm 114

Alleluia!
When Israel came out of Egypt,*
the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,

2

Judah became Gods sanctuary*
and Israel his dominion.

3

The sea beheld it and fled;*
Jordan turned and went back.

4

The mountains skipped like rams,*
and the little hills like young sheep.

5

What ailed you, O sea, that you fled?*
O Jordan, that you turned back?

6

You mountains, that you skipped like rams?*
you little hills like young sheep?

7

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,*
at the presence of the God of Jacob,

8

Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water*
and flint-stone into a flowing spring.

All creation trembles before you, Lord God,
for you have plumbed the deep waters of death
and have brought us forth as new-born into your sanctuary:
may your presence go before us to guide us
into your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Psalm 115

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name give glory;*
because of your love and because of your faithfulness.

2

Why should the heathen say,*
Where then is their God?

3

Our God is in heaven;*
whatever he wills to do he does.

4

Their idols are silver and gold,*
the work of human hands.

5

They have mouths, but they cannot speak;*
eyes have they, but they cannot see;

6

They have ears, but they cannot hear;*
noses, but they cannot smell;

7

They have hands, but they cannot feel;
feet, but they cannot walk;*
they make no sound with their throat.

8

Those who make them are like them,*
and so are all who put their trust in them.

9

O Israel, trust in the Lord;*
he is their help and their shield.

10

O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;*
he is their help and their shield.

11

You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;*
he is their help and their shield.

12

The Lord has been mindful of us and he will bless us;*
he will bless the house of Israel;
he will bless the house of Aaron;

13

He will bless those who fear the Lord,*
both small and great together.

14

May the Lord increase you more and more,*
you and your children after you.

15

May you be blessed by the Lord,*
the maker of heaven and earth.

16

The heaven of heavens is the Lords,*
but he entrusted the earth to its peoples.

17

The dead do not praise the Lord,*
nor all those who go down into silence;

18

But we will bless the Lord,*
from this time forth for evermore.
Alleluia!

O Lord of life,
who made us in your image
and taught us to offer ourselves to you
as a living sacrifice:
fill us with your life-giving Spirit
that in the renewal of our minds
we may be dead to sin and live to you
in Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Psalm 117

1

Praise the Lord, all you nations;*
laud him, all you peoples.

2

For his loving-kindness towards us is great,*
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Alleluia!

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
your name, O Lord, is extolled among the nations;
as your abiding love has been revealed to all peoples,
so receive the tribute of lips which acknowledge your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Psalm 118

Let those who fear the Lord now proclaim,*
His mercy endures for ever.

5

I called to the Lord in my distress;*
the Lord answered by setting me free.

6

The Lord is at my side, therefore I will not fear;*
what can anyone do to me?

7

The Lord is at my side to help me;*
I will triumph over those who hate me.

8

It is better to rely on the Lord*
than to put any trust in flesh.

9

It is better to rely on the Lord*
than to put any trust in rulers.

10

All the ungodly encompass me;*
in the name of the Lord I will repel them.

11

They hem me in, they hem me in on every side;*
in the name of the Lord I will repel them.

12

They swarm about me like bees;
they blaze like a fire of thorns;*
in the name of the Lord I will repel them.

13

I was pressed so hard that I almost fell,*
but the Lord came to my help.

14

The Lord is my strength and my song,*
and he has become my salvation.

15

There is a sound of exultation and victory*
in the tents of the righteous:

16

The right hand of the Lord has triumphed!*
the right hand of the Lord is exalted!
the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!

17

I shall not die, but live,*
and declare the works of the Lord.

18

The Lord has punished me sorely,*
but he did not hand me over to death.

19

Open for me the gates of righteousness;*
I will enter them; I will offer thanks to the Lord.

20

This is the gate of the Lord;*
whoever is righteous may enter.

21

I will give thanks to you, for you answered me*
and have become my salvation.

22

The same stone which the builders rejected*
has become the chief corner-stone.

23

This is the Lords doing,*
and it is marvellous in our eyes.

24

On this day the Lord has acted;*
we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25

Hosanna, Lord, hosanna!*
Lord, send us now success.

26

Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord;*
we bless you from the house of the Lord.

27

God is the Lord; he has shined upon us;*
form a procession with branches
up to the horns of the altar.

28

You are my God and I will thank you;*
you are my God and I will exalt you.

29

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;*
his mercy endures for ever.

This day, O Lord, you have made your own,
and have raised us up on the Corner-stone of our salvation:
open to us the gates of righteousness
that we may enter and give thanks to your Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.